The surprise entrance from humans upset the mother and four chicks, who have been left alone for three weeks since birth. The mother screeched at the top of her lungs and even came close to the heads of the humans gathering on the top of the high-rise dormitory on the university's East Campus.

However, the chicks will be thanking the humans later, as they placed identification bands around their legs, which are needed to keep tabs on the young falcons as they mature and take flight, establishing their own territories elsewhere, according to Tom French, a biologist from the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife.

A peregrine falcon monitors the actions of a state Division of Fisheries & Wildlife crew atop Fox Hall on UMass Lowell's East Campus Monday. The biologists were collecting peregrine chicks for banding on the roof of the high-rise dorm where they nest. Sun Photos/Bob Whitaker

"These are the perfect age to band. When they get older they get really feisty," said French, holding a screeching chick on Monday.

What's "really important when working with birds or any animal that we're trying to help recover is to track the lifespan of that bird and figure out how far does it go, how long has it lived, how well does it reproduce," he added. "And if there are any problems with any of those things, then we can look back on that bird's history and see if there's some common denominator that has caused the problem."

French and his team gathered the four chicks and brought them inside Fox Hall, so French could check on the baby falcons' health, determine their gender and put the bands around their legs.

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He determined that there are three females and one male in the nest.

All precautions were taken to make sure the chicks and their mom were unharmed during the banding process.

"It's completely harmless, doesn't hurt them at all," French said. "This is not a burden at all for the bird. It's just a surprise for them, and the mother becomes very territorial, very aggressive out there.

"It's just really important to follow their identity," he added.

Mass. Division of Fisheries and Wildlife biologists, from left, Bob Desrosiers, Erik Amati and Thomas French, band one of four new falcon chicks.

"We end up with a story, their family tree and life history, and it gives us the information we need to know."

Merri, the single mother of four chicks, and Mack, the late father (Merri-Mack, like the river), paired up in 2005, according to veteran falcon watchers Ursula and Dave Goodine, who followed the couple and their chicks over the years.

The peregrine falcons nested 18 stories atop Fox Hall and were first spotted in 2007 when a maintenance worker on the roof found the swooping, protective birds that are endangered in Massachusetts. Since discovering them, the university has supported the birds, working with the state's Division of Fisheries and Wildlife to install a box for their nesting. There's been an annual banding since the nest box was put in.

"Once they became endangered and protected, we wanted to make sure the chicks are doing well," said Ursula Goodine, a volunteer monitor for the state's division of Fisheries and Wildlife. "When they take their first flight in about four weeks from now, it's the most dangerous time for them. They can come in contact with cars, crash into a tree or building, so we try to be there to help.

"We're always around to make sure there's no problem," she added. "We have binoculars and camp out early in the morning."

Mack, who was born in Fall River, was 14 years old when he died earlier this month. He was found on the ground near Fox Hall and identified by a band he wore. Mack likely slammed into a building and broke his neck, according to Goodine.

Merri, who was born in 2002 in Boston, is now looking for a mate. It will be a challenge for her to raise four chicks on her own and provide enough food, French said. There's no evidence that human intervention is necessary, however, as the chicks looked "good and healthy" on Monday, he said.

"It will be interesting if all four will make it without a mate yet," French said.

Many of the local peregrine falcons, the world's fastest bird, traveling up to 200 mph, end up on Plum Island off the shore of Newburyport, he said. A female bird that hatched at UMass Lowell in 2010 has now taken over a nest in Providence.

Some make it down the East Coast to Virginia, North Carolina and Florida, but they'll migrate back and never go down there again, French said.

"We're so thankful to the Division of Fisheries and Wildlife for everything they do to protect these falcons, who have chosen UMass Lowell as their home and who we affectionately call 'River Hawks,' " said Jeff Cournoyer, executive director of public affairs in the Office of University Relations.

"We are pleased to be able to participate in their protection as well as educate the community about peregrine falcons through our webcam and website," he added.

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